1996 TOYOTA CAMRY warning

134TANDEM MASTER CYLINDER BRAKE
SYSTEM
The tandem master cylinder brake sys-
tem is a hydraulic system with two sepa-
rate sub-systems. If either sub-system
should fail, the other will still work. Howev-
er, the pedal will be harder to press, and
your stopping distance will be longer.
Also, the brake system warning light may
come on.
CAUTION!
Do not drive your vehicle with only
a single brake system. Have your
brakes fixed immediately.
BRAKE BOOSTER
The brake booster uses engine vacuum to
power-assist the brakes. If the engine
should quit while you are driving, you can
bring the vehicle to a stop with normal
pedal pressure. There is enough reserve
vacuum for one or two stopsÐbut no
more!
CAUTION!

Do not pump the brake pedal if the
engine stalls. Each push on the
pedal uses up your vacuum re-
serve.

Even if the power assist is com-
pletely lost, the brakes will still
work. But you will have to push the
pedal hardÐmuch harder than
normal. And your braking distance
will be longer.
ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM (with
ABSº warning light)
The anti-lock brake system is designed to
prevent lock-up of the wheels during sud-
den braking or braking on slippery road
surfaces. This assists the driver in con-
trolling the vehicle under these circum-
stances.
The anti-lock brake system becomes op-
erative after the vehicle has accelerated
to a speed in excess of approximately 10
km/h (6 mph). It stops operating when the
vehicle decelerates to a speed below
approximately 5 km/h (3 mph).
You may hear a sound in the engine
compartment for a few seconds when the
engine is started or just after the vehicle
is started. This means that the anti-lock
brake system is in the self check mode,
and does not indicate a malfunction.
When the anti-lock brake system function
is in action, you may feel the brake pedal
pulsating and hear a noise. In this situa-
tion, to let the anti-lock brake system
work for you, just hold the brake pedal
down more firmly. Do not pump the brake.The brake pedal pulsation caused by the
anti-lock brake system may indicate haz-
ardous road surface conditions. Although
the anti-lock brake system assists in pro-
viding vehicle control, it is still important to
drive with all due care, because the anti-
lock brake system cannot overcome the
laws of physics that act on your vehicle:

Braking capability is dependent on tire
friction with the road surface.

Even though the anti-lock brake sys-
tem is operating, a driver cannot main-
tain full control on certain slippery road
surfaces, when cornering at high
speeds, or in violent maneuvers.

Avoid high speeds on wet roads. The
anti-lock brake system cannot elimi-
nate the risk of hydroplaning and loss
of tire friction.
Always maintain a safe distance from the
vehicle in front of you. Compared with ve-
hicles not fitted with an anti-lock brake
system, your vehicle may require a longer
stopping distance in the following cases:

Driving on rough, gravel or snow-cov-
ered roads.

Driving with tire chains installed.

Driving on roads where the road sur-
face is pitted or has other differences
in surface height.
Brake system
ProCarManuals.com

135
ABSº warning light
The light comes on when the ignition key
is turned to the ONº position. After about
3 seconds, the light will go off.
If either of the following conditions occurs,
this indicates a malfunction somewhere in
the parts monitored by the warning light
system. Contact your Toyota dealer as
soon as possible to service the vehicle.

The light does not come on as de-
scribed above, or remains on.

The light comes on while driving.Even if the anti-lock brake system should
fail, the brake system will still operate con-
ventionally. Have your vehicle checked by
your Toyota dealer as soon as possible.
DRUM-IN-DISC TYPE PARKING
BRAKE SYSTEM (all 1MZ-FE engined
vehicles, and some 5S-FE engined ve-
hicles with anti-lock brake system)
Your vehicle has a drum-in-disc type
parking brake system. This type of brake
system needs bedding-down of the brake
shoes periodically or whenever the park-
ing brake shoes and/or drums are re-
placed.
Have your Toyota dealer perform the bed-
ding-down.The brake pad wear limit indicators on
your disc brakes give a warning noise
when the brake pads are worn to
where replacement is required.
If you hear a squealing or scraping noise
while driving, have the brake pads
checked and replaced by your Toyota
dealer as soon as possible. Expensive ro-
tor damage can result if the pads are not
replaced when necessary.
Brake pad wear limit indicators
ProCarManuals.com

173 Tire surface and wheel nuts
Check the tires carefully for cuts, damage
or excessive wear. See Chapter 7-2 for
additional information. When checking
the tires, make sure no nuts are missing,
and check the nuts for looseness. Tighten
them if necessary.
Tire rotation
Rotate the tires every 12000 km (7500
miles). See Chapter 7-2 for additional in-
formation.
Fluid leaks
Check underneath for leaking fuel, oil, wa-
ter or other fluid after the vehicle has been
parked for a while. If you smell fuel fumes
or notice any leak, have the cause found
and corrected immediately.
Doors and engine hood
Check that all doors including trunk lid op-
erate smoothly and all latches lock se-
curely. Make sure the engine hood secon-
dary latch secures the hood from opening
when the primary latch is released.
INSIDE THE VEHICLE
Items listed below should be checked
regularly, e.g. while performing peri-
odic services, cleaning the vehicle,
etc.Lights
Make sure the headlights, stop lights, tail
lights, turn signal lights, and other lights
are all working. Check headlight aim.
Service reminder indicators and warn-
ing buzzers
Check that all service reminder indicators
and warning buzzers function properly.
Steering wheel
Be alert for changes in steering condition,
such as hard steering or strange noise.
Seats
Check that all front seat controls such as
seat adjusters, seatback recliner, etc. op-
erate smoothly and that all latches lock
securely in any position. Check that the
head restraints move up and down
smoothly and that the locks hold securely
in any latched position. For folding-down
or swing-up rear seatbacks or rear seat
cushion, check that the latches lock se-
curely.
Seat belts
Check that the seat belt system such as
buckles, retractors and anchors operate
properly and smoothly. Make sure that the
belt webbing is not cut, frayed, worn or
damaged.Accelerator pedal
Check the pedal for smooth operation and
uneven pedal effort or catching.
Clutch pedal
Check the pedal for smooth operation.
Brake pedal
Check the pedal for smooth operation and
that the pedal has the proper clearance.
Check the brake booster function.
Brakes
At a safe place, check that the brakes do
not pull to one side when applied.
Parking brake
Check that the lever (lever type) or pedal
(pedal type) has the proper travel and
that, on a safe incline, your vehicle is held
securely with only the parking brake ap-
plied.
Automatic transmission Parkº mech-
anism
Check the lock release button of the se-
lector lever for proper and smooth opera-
tion. On a safe incline, check that your ve-
hicle is held securely with the selector
lever in Pº position and all brakes re-
leased.ProCarManuals.com

193 WHEN TO REPLACE YOUR WHEELS
If you have wheel damage such as
bending, cracks or heavy corrosion,
the wheel should be replaced.
If you fail to replace damaged wheels, the
tire may slip off the wheel or they may
cause loss of handling control.
WHEEL SELECTION
When replacing wheels, care should
be taken to ensure that the wheels are
replaced by ones with the same load
capacity, diameter, rim width, and off-
set.
This must be observed on compact spare
tires, too.
Correct replacement wheels are available
at your Toyota dealer.
A wheel of a different size or type may ad-
versely affect handling, wheel and bear-
ing life, brake cooling, speedometer/
odometer calibration, stopping ability,
headlight aim, bumper height, vehicle
ground clearance, and tire or snow chain
clearance to the body and chassis.Replacement with used wheels is not rec-
ommended as they may have been sub-
jected to rough treatment or high mileage
and could fail without warning. Also, bent
wheels which have been straightened
may have structural damage and there-
fore should not be used. Never use an in-
ner tube in a leaking wheel which is de-
signed for a tubeless tire.
After driving your vehicle the first 1600
km (1000 miles), check that the wheel
nuts are tight.

If you have rotated, repaired, or
changed your tires, check that the
wheel nuts are still tight after driving
1600 km (1000 miles).

When using tire chains, be careful not
to damage the aluminum wheels.

Use only the Toyota wheel nuts and
wrench designed for your aluminum
wheels.

When balancing your wheels, use only
Toyota balance weights or equivalent
and a plastic or rubber hammer.

As with any wheel, periodically check
your aluminum wheels for damage. If
damaged, replace immediately.
Aluminum wheel precautions Replacing wheels
ProCarManuals.com

217
21. WIPER 20 A: Windshield wipers and
washer, rear window wipers and washer,
air bag system
22. TURN 7.5 A: Turn signal lights
23. IGN 7.5 A: Multiport fuel injection sys-
tem/sequential multiport fuel injection
system, charging system, air bag system
24. CIG/RADIO 15 A: Audio system,
daytime running light system, clock, ciga-
rette lighter, air bag system, shift lock sys-
tem
25. MIR. HTR 10 A: Outside rear view
mirror heater26. TAIL 15 A: Tail lights, parking lights,
license plate lights, instrument panel
lights, rear light failure warning system
27. SRS 7.5 A: SRS airbag system
28. A/C 10 A: Air conditioning control
system
29. HEAD (LWR-RH) 15 A: Right-hand
headlight (low beam)
30. HEAD (LWR-LH) 15 A: Left-hand
headlight (low beam)
31. DRL 5 A: Daytime running light sys-
tem
32. ST 10 A: Starting systemFuses (type C)
33. AM1 40 A: Starting system
34. P/W 30 A: Electric moon roof, power
windows, tilt steering, power door lock
controls, power back door lock control,
power seat
35. DEFOG 40 A: Rear window defogger
36. HTR 40 A: Air conditioning control
system
37. MAIN NO. 1 40 A: Starting system
38. CDS 30 A: Electric cooling fan
39. RDI 30 A: Electric cooling fan
ProCarManuals.com

220This information has been prepared in ac-
cordance with regulations issued by the
National Highway Traffic Safety Adminis-
tration of the U.S. Department of Trans-
portation. It provides the purchasers and/
or prospective purchasers of Toyota
vehicles with information on uniform tire
quality grading.
Your Toyota dealer will help answer any
questions you may have as you read this
information.
DOT quality gradesÐAll passenger
vehicle tires must conform to Federal
Safety Requirements in addition to
these grades. These quality grades are
molded on the sidewall.
TreadwearÐThe treadwear grade is a
comparative rating based on the wear
rate of the tire when tested under con-
trolled conditions on a specified govern-
ment test course. For example, a tire
graded 150 would wear one and a half
(1-1/2) times as well on the government
course as a tire graded 100. The relative
performance of tires depends upon the
actual conditions of their use, however,
and may depart significantly from the
norm due to variations in driving habits,
service practices and differences in road
characteristics and climate.Traction A, B, CÐThe traction grades,
from highest to lowest, are A, B, and C,
and they represent the tire's ability to stop
on wet pavement as measured under
controlled conditions on specified govern-
ment test surfaces of asphalt and con-
crete. A tire marked C may have poor trac-
tion performance.
Warning: The traction grade assigned to
this tire is based on braking (straight
ahead) traction tests and does not include
cornering (turning) traction.
Temperature A, B, CÐThe temperature
grades are A (the highest), B, and C, rep-
resenting the tire's resistance to the gen-
eration of heat and its ability to dissipate
heat when tested under controlled condi-
tions on a specified indoor laboratory test
wheel. Sustained high temperature can
cause the material of the tire to degener-
ate and reduce tire life, and excessive
temperature can lead to sudden tire fail-
ure. The grade C corresponds to a level of
performance which all passenger car tires
must meet under the Federal Motor Ve-
hicle Safety Standard No. 109. Grades B
and A represent higher levels of perfor-
mance on the laboratory test wheel than
the minimum required by law.Warning: The temperature grade for this
tire is established for a tire that is properly
inflated and not overloaded. Excessive
speed, underinflation, or excessive load-
ing, either separately or in combination,
can cause heat buildup and possible tire
failure.
Uniform tire quality grading
ProCarManuals.com